Well, I still haven't been doing so hot with this story, but I would feel bad if I abandoned it, so I suppose I'll try and give this another shot.

Previously: Our heroine seems to be the only one that isn't afraid of the prince, who is soon to go to war. And after a heated dispute; Serena has agreed to talk to man. How will the things Vegeta says affect Serena, and possible, change her entire life?

To Be With You Tomorrow

The air was warm and fresh as Serena and Vegeta stepped out of the diner. No one had even noticed that Vegeta never paid for his 4 meals - which he had to admit he was thankful for. Serena looped her coat over her arms, and began walking down the street. Vegeta was silent next to her as he stared straight ahead, eyes blank.

"So then I said: I'm going to play the Piccolo!" Serena beamed. She had been telling him about the little joke she'd made with her friend earlier that day, but obviously, he wasn't listening, "Hey you." She said, tipping her head to the side to catch his gaze. He glanced at her for a moment as they walked fully past the diner, and sighed,

"What?" he managed. He hadn't realized she was even talking. His pride held him back from apologizing, as much as he fought it.

"It's alright I guess." Serena said, eyes raised to the sky before looking at him with a wide smile, "Besides, I think I'm the one who's suppose to be listening." She said with a tiny laugh. Vegeta frowned a bit more,

"I don't mind it." He said quietly, eyes cast to the ground, "I like it," He managed, then completed his sentence, realizing she didn't know what he was talking about, "You talking I mean. I like the sound of your voice." The words had just slipped off his tongue; he hadn't even realized them until he noticed the bright blush on her cheeks. "I-I mean, well…" he stammered, hands raised almost defensively as he searched for something-anything to change his words.

But he didn't have time to even find those words. Serena had spotted something which immediately put her on high alert. She looked around frantically - eyes no longer fixated on the familiar oncoming car - then practically tackled Vegeta, pushing him backward. He yelped as they fell over some bushes.

"What are you-" He began, but Serena placed a firm hand over his mouth as the car passed them slowly, and pulled into the diner. Serena sighed heavily.

"That was close." Serena mused to herself. A muffled voice brought her back to reality though, and she took her hand away from his lips. At first he attempted to stand, but he eyes widened when he realized he couldn't. She was directly on top of him! He bit down on his inner lip, gulping.

For the second time today, there they were, legs entwined as they scrambled up from the ground. Serena pushed herself, trying to get up, but she slipped, once again falling against him. The impact pushed him to the ground once more.

"Oh! I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked, finally freeing one leg. That helped her loosen the other and she pushed herself up slightly, hovering over him, "Vegeta?" she called. He looked up at her with an accusing glare. She blushed, looking away, "Sorry." She murmured again. Vegeta sat up, which forced her too as well. And there she was, straddled at his waist as he sat legs bent, propped up by both arms.

They were quiet; uncomfortably quiet. Serena's face was beat red, though no blushed reached Vegeta cheeks. After many moments, Vegeta regained himself, letting go a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

"You are the most….awkward person I've ever met." he blurted. "Who in God's name manages this, twice?" Serena blinked, obviously in shock, "What?" he hollered,

"This is the most you've talked all day," she said. Vegeta pursed his lips together and then let out a sigh,

"Well…" he began, trying to salvage his dignity, "Who was that?" he asked, looking away. Serena blinked for a moment, then gasped,

"Oh, in the car," She blurted - though it was more so to remind herself of whom he spoke of. "My boy-um-" she paused, looking down at the ground as he stared at her intently, knowing what she was going to say: Boyfriend.

Serena bit down on her lip for a moment. Why didn't she want to tell him? Her mind was screaming insanities at her, and eventually she pushed the thoughts aside, "My boyfriend." She finished, "He was supposed to pick me up." Vegeta nodded at her answer,

"I suppose you should get going then?" he asked, completely naturally. Serena blinked, then laughed - somewhat loudly,

"Don't be silly!" She insisted, getting up finally, which allowed him to stand, "Come on!" She said, taking his hand, "I said we could talk, didn't I?" And with that, she dragged him back through the bushes, cutting through yards and eventually back onto the streets. At first, he had hesitated, but the moment her hand looped into his, he was taken.

"You're strange." He blurted once they'd made it to the sidewalks. Serena had forgotten her hand was still resting in his soft grasp, though unconsciously, she enjoyed it. She huffed at his remark,

"What's that suppose to mean?" she snapped, a tiny bit of hurt in her eyes as the two blue orbs stared up at him accusingly. He frowned a bit, biting his inner cheek,

"It's not a bad thing." He said, stopping, and his voice lowered to almost a soft whisper, "I like it." Serena stopped as well, blinking for a moment as blush tinted her cheeks. It was then they took notice to the situation of their hands. Serena blushed brightly, her eyes darting around nervously. Vegeta swallowed hard, inhaling deeply. Even in the hued light of the moon, Serena caught the faint tint of pink on his cheeks as his eyes began to dart around. She couldn't help but smile,

"Let's go then." She said, pulling him along softly. He followed, they're hands still entwined.

As they walked, hand-in-hand, Vegeta could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Serena was talking on and on, mainly because her heart was beating so loudly as well. He knew for he could hear it.

The warm breezes met them, cooling their blush-heated faces. Serena had led them deeper through the docile city, and eventually, down the hill to the lake and across the pier - where they sat now, feet dangling over the edge.

They had been silent for a long time. Serena had been contemplating something. Unconsciously, her hand released his.

He looked down her as she pulled her hand away. He frowned slightly, but then, she leaned in comfortably on his arm. His eyes went wide and he darted his gaze out to the water.

His mind reeling with panic, and for a moment, Serena almost pulled away - until his hand softly grazed her waist, and then rested comfortable around her. Slowly - very slowly - he began to be at ease again.

Serena was mentally kicking herself with every moment that passed. What was she thinking? She had a boyfriend!

But, her heart felt so light. Her stomach fluttered in a way it never had before. She didn't want to admit it, but she never felt this way around Darien. It was horrible. She'd known Vegeta for what? 2 hours?

Suddenly, her thoughts escaped her. Vegeta's head rested softly on hers, as his cheek nuzzled into her hair. She could feel his warm steady breath moving her bangs.

"Vegeta" She whispered softly. He stirred, leaning back up and looking at her. She blushed. She hadn't meant to say his name. It just came so freely so her lips. She gazed up at him, those ebony eyes so dark and empty. They held such a protective barrier around them. Serena sighed softly, that wondrous glint in her eyes falling into a frown. What was wrong with her? All of a sudden it felt like Darien just wasn't even part of her; like he was past tense. Did she even love him? How could she possibly tell when her heart beat so fast for Vegeta. This was preposterous!

"Something the matter" He asked in that firm tone. Serena drew back slightly, and then stood, moving completely out of his grasp. She stared down at him, and could only frown more. Those eyes of his were so unreadable. They held no emotion what-so-ever. It was as if they were dead to the world!

She must have been loosing her mind. In her head, she was screaming to keep thinking about Darien but something kept saying: why? She was destined to love Darien, wasn't she?

Vegeta still gazed up at her. She bit down on her lip.

It was so obvious he wasn't of this world. That skin of his - the deep, rich tone. The moon gleamed off his high cheekbones, gracing them to add even more mystery to his eyes. To be perfectly honest, he was breathtaking. He looked strange in that human uniform. It wasn't fit for him. Serena cast her glance to the ground.

And here was little old Serena. In her mind, she snapped at herself. She was lowering her own self-esteem because of a guy! She was judging herself by beauty. If you truly care for someone-it's not about that - right? But maybe that wasn't what was really going on here. Maybe she just wanted him to look at her like she looked at him. Was that so wrong?

No, it wasn't: but simply straying on these thoughts was wrong. She had Darien. Again Serena's gaze landed upon him. What were those cold eyes thinking? The moonlight shinned in the depth of his eyes, giving her a glance at her own reflection. Her hair was a mess!

"Serena?" That raspy voice brought her back to the real world. With a long sigh, she sat back down again, eyes cast to the moon.

"Are you afraid?" She asked. She heard him grunt next to her, and surprisingly, he was glaring out into the water,

"Oh course I'm not." He snapped, his hands fisted tightly. He looked up to glare at her. She had a look at disapproval on her face.

"Yea right" She mused.

"I'm not!" He bellowed as loud as his lungs would allow. For a moment, Serena drew back. He put a foot up, and let a hand rest on the deck so he could push himself up. Serena sighed heavily. This guy was so touchy! She placed a hand on his in hopes of calming him, but he snarled violently. She cowered for a moment as he reached over to remove her hand, but with a deep breath, she entwined her hand with that one.

He looked at her with wide eyes, anger still written on his face. Vegeta began to gnaw fiercely on his inner lip, and then quickly bolted his head to the side, eyes gazing at the dark waters.

"Let go." He murmured, "I'm warning you." But Serena didn't budge in the slightest.

"So you're not afraid of dying." Serena concluded, still frowning, blue eyes gazing at his face accusingly, "Then tell me why is it I'm here?" She demanded. His eyes widened for a moment before he fell deadly silent. Serena sighed, visibly frustrated. Finally she released his suppressed hand-but the moment she did, he gripped it softly. He scooted a little closer to her, folding his hands in his lap. Serena watched him skeptically for a moment, quiet angry at how rude he was. But as he looked dejectedly down at the water, her heart melted. Something was bothering him. Something was getting to him, deep inside. She leaned gingerly against his arm, feeling his muscles relax, and he held her waist once more.

"I'm not afraid of dying." Vegeta said quietly, now a little more at ease with her soul-searching eyes not being able to look at him. "Just that no one will care when I'm dead." He didn't falter in his words. Serena didn't understand. One: she simply didn't know how that felt. And Two: How on Earth did he remain so calm about it?

"I care." She said. She, pulling away to look at him, but this time, his arm held her firmly. She almost smiled at this, her tummy turning flip-flops on her. She arched her neck to look up at him, but, he wouldn't smile.

Why wouldn't he smile? He just did not seem like a happy person. She felt him sigh, his warm breath light on her nose. She accepted the fact that he didn't seem to want to speak at the moment, and buried her cheek in his chest, nuzzling tenderly. His steady heart began to beat faster. Serena almost giggled at this.

Vegeta's eyes fell half-lidded as he rested his head on hers. The water swooshed beneath them, just barely missing Vegeta's boots. The air was so fresh and cool. Her hand was warm against his and their fingers entwined playfully for awhile until her touch became very tender. His breaths were steady, despite his thundering heart.

He gazed down at her head of blonde, which tumbled around them and off the pier. Finally, he closed his eyes. This gave him the opportunity to take in her scent. Her clothes where covered in the smell of the restaurant's different foods, which she no-doubtfully spilled on herself many times.

Her scent of her hair reminded him of something from his own planet, which now seize to exist. She smelt like wildflowers. It lifted his heart.

Something was clutching at his insides, up through his stomach and in his chest. It heated his cheeks, but as he visibly held her closer to him, he wasn't about to let go of the feeling.

Serena gasped though when she felt something furry touch her, and she pulled away. Vegeta was taken aback for a moment as a rush of cold air washed over him. He shuttered.

Serena's eyes darted around until they landed on the furry little thing. It was a tail, growing right off Vegeta's tailbone! Her eyes went wide with glee as she reached out to touch it, holding it carefully in her grasp. Vegeta inhaled sharply at first, not even realizing he'd let his tail out in the open like that. His upper body turned swiftly to watch her and make sure she didn't squeeze too hard.

"It's so cute!" She squealed, holding the soft fur to her cheek as she pet it softly. She grinned, looking up at Vegeta. He didn't smile, but allowed a sort of lop-sided grin to grace his lips as he cast a glance to the dark waters. Serena simply continued to fondle the tail gracefully with her nonchalant giggles.

Vegeta soon began to feel was he feared would happen. There was a stirring inside his throat, and he stiffened. This didn't go unnoticed. Serena perked up, reaching a hand out to his shoulder,

"You okay?" she asked softly. He nodded vigorously, still looking away. Serena sighed sadly at his coldness to her as she resumed petting his tail. But as soon as she did she noticed him inhale sharply. Serena frowned, "Vegeta, really, what's wrong?" she asked, leaning closer.

But then she noticed something. He was purring! Serena blinked for a moment as he looked up with shameful eyes and cheeks tinted red. Her eyes went wide with wonder before she giggled.

"That's so cute!" she cooed. Vegeta's opened his mouth to speak, but it only came on it stammers as she cuddled up against him, tail in hand. Her other hand circled to his back as she sighed contently. Vegeta panicked. He was liking this way too much for his own good.

He tried pulling away, but instincts held him back. Now more than ever he wanted to ask of her what pried at his soul. He looked down at her wearily.

"Serena." He blurted, a little louder than he meant to. Serena looked up at him with a smile and question in her eyes. His was obviously uncomfortable, which almost made her pull away, but he quickly spit out the words he'd been trying to say. "Could I write you while I'm at 'Nam??" he asked although his voice still louder than necessary. Serena noticed this, but kept it to herself.

Vegeta's heart was beating fast again, and his breath was unsteady. "I mean," He slurred, "I don't have anyone else to write to. And you, well-". What was it that he couldn't spit out? He buckled his arms at his side, eyes rolled to the sky as he began to gnaw on his lip once more. Serena's soft giggle only made him even tenser, despite her obvious approval,

"I'd love that." She said honestly. She laughed again, rising to her feet. He soon followed as she spoke, "Only if you do something for me though." She said. Vegeta stared at her with those empty eyes; face unreadable, just like before. He released a small breath, then nodded slightly,

"What is it?" He asked. Serena's smile had grown weary and now was completely gone as she gazed at his boots for a moment. He heard her exhale as she advanced forward, and then looked up at him. In her eyes he saw his own reflection. He saw the sky behind him and the twinkling stars that struggled to match the twinkle in her eyes, but to no avail. Her eyes harbored secrets upon secrets, and a world he was foreign to.

"Promise me," She said, her hands reaching out to take hold of his uniform. He gulped at this, almost backing away, but stopped himself, "Promise me you'll come back alive." Serena didn't wait for an answer as she buried his face in his chest.

For a moment, Vegeta was lost in thought. The idea that she wanted him to come back alive was positively thrilling. To be completely truthful, the only people who would really notice Vegeta's absence if he were to die would be Nappa, Radditz and Freeza. Not that they'd mourn the loss.

She had in fact told him that she cared - but did she really? She'd only known him for a matter of hours, and didn't know really a thing about him at that. How could she possibly be really concerned?

For a moment, he felt silly for almost placing his heart in the hands of a girl he met but hours ago. People were bitter and indifferent. They were selfish and vile. But Serena wasn't one of them. She was set apart from the rest, simply because of those welcoming eyes.

His senses soon caught up with him and he pushed her away roughly, holding her by the shoulders away from him at arms-length. Had he lost his mind? His pride? He'd lived his entire life in the solitude of himself and his ambitions, and all of a sudden he was planning to simply throw all of that away?

He felt like he was throwing his life away for a war that wasn't even his own - one that had no winners, only losers. He was being forced to fight for something he didn't believe in, at all! So if he was throwing his life away, well hell why not throw everything else out the window too!? Why not-

"Vegeta?" Serena chimed in a subtle whisper. Vegeta's clutch on her shoulders loosened as he glanced up at her. Her soul-searching eyes fixated on him, and he froze.

That barrier Vegeta held gazed back at her as she sighed with dismay. She swore that maybe if she just reached out and touched him, that it would break, and he'd let her see the real him. How was it this isolated, selfish, arrogant brut of a man struck her interest so? Why was it aggravating her? Why was she so convinced that he was simply calling to her?

For the first time in her life, Serena wished she was being rash and reckless. Over the past few months, she'd gained control over those impulses. But now, it was all caving in on her. She didn't want to be thinking about Darien right now. Yes, the fates said they were destined, but that just did not explain this feeling Vegeta was rousing inside her. "Please forgive me." Serena said.

Vegeta blinked, ready to display a bewildered expression. But it was as if he'd kept his eyes closed a few moments too long though, for before he knew it, those soft hands entwined around his neck as her lips met his.

The moment before her sudden display of affection, he felt her warm breath over his lips. She closed her eyes, and those long lashes tickled her velvety skin. Was he imaging this? This was shameful of him to be manifesting such things! But if it was just a figment of his imagination, why did it feel so real? And why was his chest so tight and his stomach doing flip flops? His heart was beating so fast.

It was real, it had to be real! It had to be...it had to be….real…

Seconds before her lips left his he released an unsteady sigh. His eyes closed as his arms wove around her, framing her body to his as his lips begged for the depths of hers.

And she responded, oh thank the gods she did. His thumb softly grazed her cheek as he cupped her jaw in his palm. Was this purely will Vegeta was acting on? Impulse; a drive or desire. Did he desire her?

He did. He sincerely did.

Her arms laced around his neck, fingers entwined within his hair as he held her steady against him. She hadn't even noticed she wasn't touching the ground anymore - for her mind was lost in an abyss, and her heart was engulfed in this emotion that Vegeta had, by some means, managed to make course through her entire body.

And what of Darien?; something cooed in her mind.

Darien? Darien who?

Whoever this Darien her mind was attempting to remind her of just didn't matter. Right now, in this moment, all there was - was Vegeta.

Ø So they went down and they sat on the pier

Ø He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care

Ø I got no one to send a letter to

Ø Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?

Next time: Serena has to find a way to explain herself to Vegeta before he leaves, and hopefully, make him understand how she's feeling. But what of Darien? What will he think of this? And who knew Goku could kick booty?

In Dire Need When trapped by emotions there is little one can do

Serena's lesson: There's an important difference between giving up and letting go